William a



(No Model.)

W. A. SHAPPER.

HORSE COLLAR PAD.

No. 373,787. Patented Nov. 22, 1887.

%%W 331 61mm; I I i witness co Zak/Ln 1;. /eweZZ N. PETERS, Pluokoumognpher, Walluinlhan. D. C.

' UNITED STATES PATENT Prion.

WILLIAM A. SHAFFER, or HIGHLAND, IOWA, ASSIGNOB or ONE-HALF TO FRANCIS M. SWEARINGEN, or SAME PLACE.

HORSE-COLLAR PAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 373,787, dated November 22, 1887.

Application filed May 31, 1887. Serial No. 239,743. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. SHAFFER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richland, in the county of Keokuk and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horse-Collar Pads; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to pads for horse-collars, and it has for its object to provide a wellventilated pad adapted to fit the neck of any horse, prevent undue friction of the collar on the neck and shoulders, adjust itself to any movement made by the horse, and fit any collar; and it consists of the parts and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved pad; Fig. 2, a vertical crosssection; Fig. 3, a longitudinal section through the pad-bridge, and Fig. 4 a like view through the sustaining-plate and leather or cloth pad.

Similarletters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A represents the cushion or pad proper, which is of leather or cloth or any other suitable material of a flexible but stiff nature. This cushion is saddle-shaped and will fit closely to the neck of any horse, owing to its shape and the material of which it is constructed. To the upper surface of the cushion or pad A, I rigidly secure a plate, B, which is cast saddle-shaped of any suitable metal, by means of rivets a at each end thereof, rendering the same incapable of movement on the pad or cushion. At the center of this plate a perforation is made, in which is riveted a roundheaded pin or pivot, 0, though it may be formed or cast integrally with the plate B, if desired, or secured or attached in any manner so as to retain it in an upright position.

D is the pad-bridge, which is also of metal and cast or formed saddle-shaped. To the bottom of the pad-bridge, at about its center, a co-ncavo-convex plate, E, is rigidly secured by means of rivets, so that its convex side rests on the plate B immediately above the pin 0, slightly raising the pad-bridge off of the plate B. This plate is provided with a slot, 6, at its center, within which the body of the pivot O is fitted, the head of the pin or pivot fitting in the space between the bottom of the pad-bridge and the concave side of plate E, so that said bridge may freely move thereon.

F is a bar or rod of metal extending thefull length of the bridge and secured at each of its ends in the turned-up edges of the same at its front and rear. To this rod a tongue, G, is hung for the collar-billet.

When a horse is drawing a heavily-laden vehicle, or even an ordinary wagon unladen, there is a constant movement of the upper part of the collar on the neck due to the movement of the horses shoulders, causing the collar to chafe and rub the neck and wearing the hair off and causing soreness. readily understood from the above description of my pad, I remove all friction from the neck by having the cushion practically stationary on the neck of the horse and communicating the motion of the collar to the pad-bridge, which will turn or move freely on its pivot 0 without moving the cushion. The collar rests squarely on the pad -bridge and does away with the extra pad at present in use on collars.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The herein-described combination, in a horse-collar pad, of a flexible cushion having a saddle-shaped plate secured rigidly thereto, an upright pivot, O, rigidly secured to said plate, a saddle-shaped pad-bridge loosely supported on the rigid pivot, and means for securing the collar-billet to said bridge, as set forth. 0

2. A flexible cushion for collar-pads, having a metallic plate, B, secured to its upper surface and provided with a rigid pivot, G, in combination with a metallic pad bridge,

D, having a slotted concavoconvex plate, E, rigidly secured to its under surface, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination, in a collar-pad, 0f the As will be 0 flexible cushion, the saddle-shaped plate se 1 D, the slotted concavo-convcx plate E, the rod 10 cured to said cushion, the upright headed F, and tongue G, all as and for the purpose pivotrigidly secured to the plate, and the sadset forth.

dle-shaped imperforate bridge loosely resting In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in on the head of said pivot, substantially as depresence of two witnesses.

scribed. I WILLIAM A. SI-IAFFER.

4. A pad for horse-collars, consisting of the \Vitnesses:

flexible cushion A,the plate B, rigidly secured F. M. SWEARINGEN,

to said cushion, the pivot G, the pad-bridge A. F. BRIDGER. 

